'This Week' Transcript: Senators Charles Schumer and Jon Kyl

NEW YORK, Dec. 30, 2012

Page 8 of 9

KARL: So given what they're talking about here is going to certainly raise taxes on people making less than a million -- we don't know exactly where the threshold's going to be -- are you going to be hell no again?

LABRADOR: If it raises taxes and it doesn't cut any spending, which is what they're proposing, I think I would be -- I would be a no. But you have to look at what's happening. The president first proposed two -- about a year-and-a-half ago, he proposed $800 billion. And I love Washington math. He proposed increases in revenues of $800 billion. Then he goes to $1.2 billion. Now, after the elections, he's going to $1.6 billion. He goes back...

(CROSSTALK)

VAN HOLLEN: You know, Raul's got to get his facts straight. The president's proposal...

LABRADOR: They're the facts.

VAN HOLLEN: ... well over a year ago, if you look at the president's budget...

LABRADOR: If you read Bob Woodward's book, it was -- it was at $800 billion.

(CROSSTALK)

VAN HOLLEN: Look at the president's budget. Look at the president's proposal to Congress. September 2011, just take a look. It's on the Internet, $1.6 trillion in revenue.

KARL: Right, but...

(CROSSTALK)

VAN HOLLEN: That was -- that's what he proposed, Raul. Then...

LABRADOR: How many votes did that budget get?

VAN HOLLEN: Actually, it got overwhelming support in the House, despite the talking point you guys use.

LABRADOR: How many -- how many votes?

VAN HOLLEN: Well...

(CROSSTALK)

VAN HOLLEN: ... based on the Republicans' plan got an overwhelming Democratic vote...

KARL: It failed. The Republicans have failed, as well. So let's -- but I want to ask, Republicans seem to be incredibly divided on this issue of taxes. You wouldn't even support your leader. You wouldn't even support Speaker Boehner, a relatively modest increase of those making over $1 million.

Charles Krauthammer said that this is -- Republicans are basically completely divided on this. Here's what he said: President Obama's been using this -- and I must say with great skill and ruthless skill and success -- to fracture and basically shatter the Republican opposition. His objective from the very beginning was to break the will of Republicans in the House and to create an internal civil war, and he has done that.

Is that what we are seeing here, is an internal civil war...

LABRADOR: Absolutely.

KARL: ... in the House?

LABRADOR: And I agree with Charles. This -- this has been what the Democrats wanted to do from day one. They have tried to divide the Republicans. They have tried to get us to fight against each other on taxes when -- I'm not really sure that they don't want to go over the fiscal cliff.

You're going to have Howard Dean here a little bit later. He agrees with many Democrats that what -- what they need is actually more revenue. They want to expand the growth of government. They need more revenues. You know, Democrats are like bank robbers. You don't have the money in the 2 percent -- the money is in the 100 percent. They want to raise taxes on everyone.